Fourth Sunday of Easter
In
the Diocese of Lansing, we are blessed with a number of institutions of higher
education: I grew up learning the Spartan Fight Song from my parents, both
proud alumni of MSU. Others learn
“Hail to the Victors,” or “Eastern Eagles,” from EMU, or “Charge On” from
Hillsdale College. And each has
its own power to move hearts. But,
for my money, there is no more beautiful Alma Mater (if a non-alumnus can say
this) than “MSU Shadows.” Every
time it’s played it evokes in me a feeling of home and connection, family and
friends, and I can only imagine how those who graduated from MSU feel when it’s
played. It even surpasses, dare I
say it, the Alma Mater of my alma mater, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, written
by then-Fr. Earl Boyea, entitled “Cor ad Cor.”
Even
in our very transient culture, where people not only move city to city, but
State to State, or even country to country for jobs and opportunity, there is
something about the feeling of home that resonates in us all. Home, not just a house, means
stability, love, warmth, and family.
That is why violence done to a home with a wrecking ball, or even
sadder, violence done in a home,
wrenches us at our core. Homes
should be safe.
Jesus
today in the Gospel refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep, and his sheep know
Him. He protects them, and even
lays down His life for them. He
will not suffer wolves to enter the pasture where His sheep graze, but will do
whatever it takes to give His flock life.
It is as if Jesus is setting up the green pastures, of which Psalm 23
speaks, as a home where all His sheep can feel at ease, safe, protected, and
loved.
The
pasture that Jesus protects is His Church, His community of disciples. This is our home. This is where we are loved, nurtured,
and protected. It’s a large flock,
but Jesus knows each of us by name, and we are called to grow in our knowledge
and love of the Good Shepherd each day.
In order to be safe, though, we must stay close to Him. There are too many wolves that would
love to devour the sheep.
Some
of you are here for the last time today.
You’ll be taking final exams this week, and then graduate. You have called East Lansing home,
perhaps for four, or five, or six years.
You have made many friends, gone to many football and basketball games,
laughed, cried, and made East Lansing your earthly home. This building has become your spiritual
home with its own unique memories.
But some of you are moving on to other cities, other States, other countries
even. You will try to establish a
new earthly home where you can feel loved, appreciated, and secure.
I
can tell you that the best way to really establish a new earthly home, is by
finding another “outlet,” if you will, of your spiritual home. Because it’s not really this building
that’s your home. This building,
as important as it is to have a sacred space set aside for the worship of God,
could not exist, and you could still be home, because your home is the Catholic
Church. And wherever you move,
find the nearest Catholic Church, and get acquainted with the community
there. It won’t be exactly the
same, but the Good Shepherd is, no matter where you go, what type of music is
played at Mass, who you know, or how big or small it is. The Good Shepherd will be waiting for
you, to welcome you home to the place where He is pleased to dwell.
The
wolves of temptation will be circling, trying to convince you that you should
worry about making tons of money first, or getting acquainted with other
places, or just easing the stress of a new place by plopping down in front of
the TV instead of going to Mass.
And Jesus the Good Shepherd, will do all that He can through your
conscience to remind you that your home is with Him, not with the TV, or the
money, or the stores. He gives you safety and love, not the
created goods. The Good Shepherd
has gone so far as to lay down His life for you to show you how much He wants
you and loves you. But He who did
not ask you to create you, will not force His love on you without your
permission. If you, the sheep,
wish to leave home and wander among the brambles, then He loves you enough to
let you wander away. But know
this, He will be right behind you, ready to lead you back home to safety if you
call on Him.
All
of us: graduating students, students who will return next year, professors, and
all present here, we all know about the wolves. We even know about the hired hands who will try to convince
you that they’re pulling you away from the Church and from your faith for your
own good because they love you.
But only Jesus never abandons you when danger comes, or when you’re all
alone with no safety, no comfort, no peace. Only the Good Shepherd stays with His sheep no matter
what. The hired hands run
away. The wolves will only stay as
long as they can feed on you.
In
a few months new freshmen will move in the dorms. Soon-to-be sophomores and juniors and seniors will crowd the
streets. Students and alumni of
all ages will gather at Spartan Stadium.
And at that first game, whether we win or lose (hopefully we win!), the
band will play “MSU Shadows,” reminding all that they’re home. But whether you’re in East Lansing or
Ann Arbor, in Michigan or Montana, in the United States or Uzbekistan, stay
with the Church, stay with the Good Shepherd, and no matter what hymns are
sung, no matter what the building looks like, no matter who the priest is, you
will be home.
